April 28, 2008, 8:29PM

E. coli, Shigella and cranes . . . oh my! The news is filled with stories about bad things that shouldn't happen if government health and safety agencies were doing their job. People shouldn't be getting sick from the food they eat, yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that the number of food poisoning cases has... Full story »

March 30, 2008, 2:45PM

Finding out the graduation rate for your town's school system is easy. So is getting local data on the number of burglaries, sex offenders, home values, and median income. Just search on the web for your zip code and the word "profile." This information is very useful when it comes time to vote or move. You'll know if crime, the... Full story »

March 28, 2008, 8:03PM

Last week, New Jersey State Senator Joe Vitale unveiled his proposal to cover the 1.5 million New Jerseyans who lack health insurance. For as far as it goes, the plan is to be lauded. Unfortunately, the initiative only addresses one side of the out-of-control health care cost equation--supply--and does little to control the ever-growing demand for health care. The Vitale... Full story »

January 11, 2008, 2:48PM

Two struggling Newark hospitals will be closed under plans just announced. While St. James and Columbus Hospitals are places few of us heard of, let alone received care in, I'm sure their communities consider them vital and essential assets worthy of protection. The story of these hospitals speaks volumes about the state of our nation's dysfunctional health care system and... Full story »

December 26, 2007, 11:48AM

I challenge anyone to read these stories of anorexia and bulimia and tell me this isn't as real a disease as cancer, diabetes or arthritis. The pain of mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, drug addiction and countless others is palpable even if the physical cause isn't. Yet, health insurance companies--and current state law--would have us believe there is something... Full story »

December 05, 2007, 4:46AM

Do you remember the widely criticized color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System? When first implemented, the alert level jumped up and down like a yo-yo. Skeptics wondered whether the color designation reflected more the day's political threats than terrorism-related ones. Recently, the Bush administration proposed a homeland security budget that suggests we must be safer because less spending is needed. But... Full story »

October 29, 2007, 9:37AM

Because there are no facts, there is no truth. Just data to be manipulated. --Don Henley, "In the Garden of Allah" Have you heard this story? White House staff deleted half of the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director's written Congressional testimony on the public health implications of climate change. The testimony that Dr. Julie Gerberding did... Full story »

October 24, 2007, 10:38PM

I had a little bird, Its name was Enza. I opened the window, And in-flu-enza. --Children's rhyme, 1918 When the ball is snapped, Eli Manning relies on a strong offensive line to keep from getting sacked when the linebackers blitz. The seasonal flu shot--or any vaccination for that matter--is our line of defense against infectious disease. Just like the... Full story »

October 16, 2007, 5:32PM

Imagine a world without antibiotics where supportive measures like aspirin, intravenous fluids, alcohol sponges and blood transfusions were the mainstay therapies for aggressive infections. This was the world my great uncle, Dr. Benjamin Sherman, began his medical career in as a surgeon in the late 1930's. "Dr. Ben," as he was known, would speak of his amazement when watching hospitalized... Full story »

October 04, 2007, 2:32PM

If you think good regulations are too expensive, try bad regulations. The Topps Meat Company is recalling a year's worth of ground beef -- 21.7 million pounds -- produced in it's Elizabeth, New Jersey processing plant because they can't be sure it wasn't contaminated with the deadly bacteria, E. coli O157. Assuming ground beef is $2.50 a pound, this recall... Full story »

October 01, 2007, 12:03AM

Let's be perfectly clear. Those who oppose expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Plan (S-CHIP) are not afraid the program will fail. They fear its success. They worry S-CHIP shatters the conservative myth that government can't do anything right and puts a lie to the notion that unregulated competition can solve every social problem. Unfortunately, when it comes to... Full story »

September 17, 2007, 12:12PM

After 9/11 and the subsequent anthrax attacks, the nation awoke to the reality that our public health system was more sieve than safety net. The emergency response capabilities of local health departments was eroded by years of underfunding. As a result, federal money poured into state and local health departments to beef up planning, training, staffing and the stockpiling of... Full story »

September 11, 2007, 12:01AM

No clouds marred the sky on that morning six years ago today. From our office suite on the 14th floor of a building in the University Heights section of Newark, we had a gorgeous floor-to-ceiling window-seat view of the New York City skyline. I would often stand breathless and marvel at the view to the east--until that day. From childhood,... Full story »

September 09, 2007, 9:08AM

An industry is in crisis. Imported toys are coated with lead paint and contain magnets that little children could swallow. The corporate crisis managers are concerned that parents may stop buying. So, the call goes out: "Government save us!" Like the salad growers last year, toy manufacturers now realize that a loss of public trust is bad for the bottom... Full story »

September 03, 2007, 4:24PM

"But...the nuggets at McDonalds taste much better." This was the plaintive cry we often heard when we tried to feed our little ones a real home-cooked meal. I must admit to occasionally dropping a few generic $10-per-gross processed fried chicken lumps and french fries into an old McD's flip-top box, driving around the block and serving it up with a... Full story »